Display rack



R. C. DUNBAR DISPLAY RACK Filed Jan. 14, 1956 Patented July "7, 1936 ATENT "OFFICE.

r Y JD'ISPLAYRACKU f iRob'e rt Q Dunbar, wagoneigbkla. I ssisted; January 14, fast, Serial rid-59.123 ""2ciai ms (o1. mi -169i This. invention relates to display devicesand more particularly to a device adapted for use in displaying articles of merchandise; such as but- I tons or like articles, which are moun'ted on cards.

An object of this invention is to provide" adisplay device of this character which is so constructed that cards of articles of merchandise, such as buttons, may. be removably mounted "in leaves or frames whicha'are hingedly carried by a stationary frame, the frames being so constructed that the cards may be mounted on either or both sides of the frames.

Another object of this invention is to provide a device of this kind which is relatively simple in construction so that it can be manufactured at a relatively small cost and so that the articles of merchandise may be easily and quickly inserted or removed from the device.

A further object of this invention is to provide a display device of this character which is relatively compact so that a considerable number of button cards may be displayed and the device also embodies a construction whereby any one of the display frames may be removed from the base structure or may be swung from a horizontal position to a substantially vertical position so that the articles on both sides of the device may be visible.

The above and various other objects and advantages of this invention will in part be described in, and in part be understood from the following detail description of the present preferred embodiment, the same being illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a display device constructed according to an embodiment of this invention.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary vertical section partly in detail of one of the display frames.

Figure 3 is a sectional view partly in detail taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Referring to the drawing wherein like symbols designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, the numeral l6 designates generally a base having end members or bars H and I2 and side bars I 3 and M. The side bar I3 is disposed at the front of the device and the bar Id at the rear. A pair of vertically disposed rear bars I5 and I6 are secured to the rear of the base In and an upper rear bar I! is secured to the upper ends of the uprights l5 and I6 and acts as a holding bar so as to hold the display frames hereinafter described in a substantially upright position.

The base I is provided at each end thereof with blocks l8 and I9 which are provided with stepped portions 20 and the stepped'portions 20- have slots 2|. .The stepped portions 22 of the end member |9 also have slots 23 which confront the slots 2| .of the end member l8. l

- A plurality. of merchandise. holding iframes, generally designated asf24; are disposed between the'blocks I8 and 'IS Jandeach frame 24 comprises, longitudinal. bars 25 and 2.6'and end bars 21 and 28. The side and end bars are secured together in any suitable manner and, in the present instance, the ends of the side and end bars are out 01f at an angle and secured together as by a corrugated clip or fastening device 29. It will be understood, however, that any other means of securing the side and end bars together may be used. The end bars 27 and 28 adjacent the rear side bar 26 are each provided with a trunnion 36, which is adapted to engage in a slot in an end block so as to swingably secure the frames 24 between the end blocks l8 and IS.

The frame 24 is provided with an inside groove or channel 3| and a transverse bar 32 is disposed in substantially the longitudinal center of the frame 24 and a plurality of parallel and longitudinally extending bars 33 and 34 are disposed between the intermediate bar 32 and the end members 21 and 28. The intermediate stile 32 is provided with a channel 35 on each longitudinal edge thereof in which an end of a longitudinal bar 33 or 34 is adapted to engage. These bars 33 and 34 may be loosely disposed in the channel 35 and also in the side channel 3| of the frame 24 so that the spaces between the bars 33 and the side bars and 26 may be adjusted at will.

A plurality of backing plates 31 are disposed within the frame 24 and engage in the grooves of the frame 24 and the grooves 36 of the longitudinal bars 33 and 34. These backing plates 31 are preferably made of relatively rigid material, such as sheet metal or the like, and may be mounted in the grooves of the frame during the assembly thereof or at a subsequent time. The plates 3'! are of a thickness such that they do not occupy the entire width of the channels 3| and 36 so that merchandise holding cards 38 may be disposed in the grooves 3| and 36 on opposite sides of the plates 31. The cards 38 are mounted in the confronting grooves 36 and 3| of the frame 24 by slightly bending the card and then allowing the card to straighten out. There may be any number of frames 24 disposed in the blocks I8 and I9 depending only on the number of stepped portions 2| and 22.

In the use of this device, the merchandise holding cards 38 are inserted in the grooves 3| and 36, as shown in Figure 2, and may be disposed on either or both sides of the plates 31. event a customer desires to look over the stock carried by the frames 24, the uppermost frame 24 is swung upwardly and against the back rail I I so that this back rail I I will support the uppermost frame 24 in a position inclined rearwardly to the vertical. The frames 24 can be swung upwardly or downwardly after the manner of the leaves of a book and by reason of the back rail I! the undersides of the frames can be viewed, as well as the upper sides. If desired, the frames 24 can be easily removed from the end blocks I8 and I9 so that a customer can more readily look over a particular frame with the merchandise mounted thereon.

I claim:

1. A display device comprising a base, an upstanding back secured to the base, a pair of stepped members secured to the base one adjacent each end thereof and adjacent the back, each stepped member having vertically opening slots in the stepped portions thereof, a plurality of rectangular frames disposed between said stepped members, a pair of trunnions carried by each In the frame and engaging in opposed slots of the stepped members to swingably mount the frame members on the base, said frame members having grooves on the inner edges thereof, and a plate engaging in said grooves and constituting a reinforcing means for articles disposed within said frame members.

2. A display device comprising a base and a plurality of article holding frame members secured in stepped relation to the base means for 10 swingably securing the frame members to the base, each frame member comprising a rectangular frame structure provided with a groove on the inside edge thereof, an intermediate bar disposed in said groove and extending transversely of the frame structure, a longitudinal bar engaging said intermediate bar and a portion of said frame structure, said'longitudinal bar being provided with grooves on opposite edges thereof confronting the grooyes of the frame structure and a pair of reinforcing plates loosely disposed in the grooves of the frame structure and the grooves of the longitudinal bars, said plates having a width substantially less than the width of the grooves in the frame structure and the longitudinal bars whereby to provide space on opposite sides of the plates to receive pieces of cardboard bearing articles of merchandise.

' ROBERT C. DUNBAR. 

